RBI Allows Rupee Lending To Bhutan, Nepal And Sri Lanka

15 Oct 2025 CW Team

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has permitted Indian banks and their overseas branches to lend in rupees to residents of Bhutan, Nepal, and Sri Lanka in order to facilitate cross-border trade transactions.

The move, announced on 1 October as part of the monetary policy outcome, forms part of the RBI’s ongoing efforts to ease external trade and payments under amendments to the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA).

In addition, the RBI has extended the repatriation period to three months for foreign currency accounts maintained with banks in India’s International Financial Services Centres (IFSCs). The change is expected to encourage more exporters to open and operate such accounts with IFSC banking units.

Earlier, in January 2025, the central bank had allowed exporters to open foreign currency accounts with banks outside India for realisation of export proceeds, with unutilised balances to be repatriated by the end of the month following the realisation date.

With these measures, the RBI aims to promote internationalisation of the rupee, positioning the domestic currency as a stronger medium for regional trade and settlement.

Infrastructure Transport

09 Jan 2026

India Becomes First to Produce Bio-Bitumen for Roads

India has become the first country in the world to commercially produce bio-bitumen for use in road construction, according to Road, Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari. Bitumen, a black and viscous hydrocarbon derived from crude oil, is a key binding material in road building, and the bio-based alternative is expected to significantly improve the sector’s environmental footprint.Addressing the CSIR Technology Transfer Ceremony in New Delhi, Mr Gadkari congratulated Council of Scientific and Industrial Research on achieving the milestone, noting that the initiative would help curb ..

HILT Policy Seen Boosting Telangana Revenue Sharply

The Hyderabad Industrial Land Transformation (HILT) Policy is expected to generate around Rs 1.08 billion in revenue for the Telangana state exchequer, according to Deputy Chief Minister Bhatti Vikramarka Mallu. Speaking in the Telangana Legislative Assembly, he said the policy would be implemented within a six-month timeframe in a transparent manner, with uniform rules applicable to all stakeholders. Mr Vikramarka noted that without the HILT Policy, the state would have earned only about Rs 1.2 million per acre. Under the new framework, however, revenue is projected to rise sharply to Rs 70 ..

India Post, MoRD Tie Up to Boost Rural Inclusion

The Department of Posts and the Ministry of Rural Development have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to accelerate rural transformation and expand financial, digital and logistics services for Self-Help Groups (SHGs) and rural households across India. The agreement was signed in the presence of Union Minister of Communications and Development of North Eastern Region Jyotiraditya M. Scindia and Union Minister of Rural Development and Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Shivraj Singh Chouhan. The collaboration aligns with the government’s “Dak Sewa, Jan Sewa” vision and seeks to repositi..